Naviglio

Name: Naviglio
Brand: B&B Italia

Sofas

Yabu Pushelberg

Concept
Description
Colours and finishes
Dimensions and CAD
Catalogues

“We aimed to create a collection that was a visual dialogue between structure and form; how shapes interact and may be brought together to create their own unique whole. We began the design process by taking an assortment of simple organic forms and playing with their interactions. Many resembled a relationship like that of oil and water, while others delivered the sweetness of strawberries and cream.”

Glenn Pushelberg

“It was as though we were completing a puzzle with B&B Italia; gathering the pieces, assorting the colours and shapes and fitting them together through trial and error until it was complete. We are passionately proud of Naviglio, our first collection with B&B Italia, and see our first partnership as homage to our shared commitment to craft and creating for the world we want to live in.”

George Yabu

Naviglio

Designer: Yabu Pushelberg

Typology: Sofas

Collection: B&B Italia

Year: 2020

Yabu Pushelberg’s Naviglio collection is composed of a curved, linear, chaise longue and ottoman elements that together express a visual dialogue between structure and form. The synthesis is the project’s essence and starts from its name. Watercourses are places of meeting and confluence, a synthesis of trade and leisure, human intervention and contact with nature. This was the starting point for the designers George Yabu and Glenn Pushelberg for their first partnership with B&B Italia. In the Canadian designers’ vision, the seating base is a riverbed that defines the space to accommodate a backrest/armrest which is as sinuous as a watercourse. Yabu Pushelberg’s design builds a relationship between organic forms and B&B Italia’s moulding technologies to create a consistent and univocal whole. As a piece of a puzzle, the B&B Italia team has ergonomically designed each shape to achieve a single cohesive unit. The backrest section and the seating shapes reveal a delicate balance between polygons and curved shapes, where geometry becomes softness and rigour blends with comfort. The backrest originates from a round shape, but it is actually an irregular polygon with rounded edges - both an amazing and reassuring detail. The upholstery of the different elements is made of differentiated density polyurethane to cosily embrace the body and ensure the most appropriate support. The choice was dictated by the object’s nature - a sofa designed without seat cushions. Naviglio’s upholstery range comprises leather and fabric, including a new bouclé with a uniform base and multicoloured flames that recall the dynamism of action painting and impressionistic colour combinations. A subtle pictorial interplay between light and shadow that adds five variations of the new fabric to the collection, where white, grey, black and tortora colours interact. The rear surface of the backrest presents a continuous tone-on-tone or contrasting decorative section, creating a linear element that further underscores the shape continuity. The range complement, the Naviglio service table designed by Yabu Pushelberg studio, presents a transparent glass top to be positioned close to the seat. The slender bronzed nickel vertical axis is supported by a polished marble base, with a river stone-inspired shape.